Frederick Community College PS 101 General Psychology FALL 2011
Class begins: 08/22/2011	Class ends: 12/10/2011	Last Day to Withdraw: 11/02/2011

Instructor Information:
Name: James Morrison	Office: N/A
E-mail: JMorrison@frederick.edu	Phone Number: N/A
Contact Hours: email and by appointment for in-person meeting	Campus Mail Box #: 71

Course Information:
Credits: 3
On-campus Meetings: None required	On-campus Exams: One required
Prerequisites: EN 52 or ESL 99	Corequisites:

Course Description:

Emphasizes the major factors that influence human behavior, including behavioral neuroscience, perceptual processes, consciousness, intelligence, and personality and psychological disorders

Core Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of this course students will demonstrate

(Goal I) Demonstrate college-level communication skills by

· writing and speaking effective, organized, clear, and grammatically correct English appropriate for a specific subject, purpose, and audience (1)

· interpreting written texts and video presentations pertaining to

psychology (2)

· participating in small group and class discussions (3)

2. (Goal II) Demonstrate critical thinking skills by

· evaluating evidence by differentiating among facts, opinions, and inferences through comparing/contrasting major paradigms of psychology (4)

· demonstrating a disposition toward critical thinking through an understanding of the basic principles of human behavior (7)

3. (Goal III) Display general knowledge and historical awareness by

· displaying historical awareness and demonstrating an understanding of contemporary issues in the field of psychology within their historical and cultural context (10)

4. (Goal VII) Understand and be able to interpret social and educational

values by

· identifying and evaluating moral issues and conflicts, including basic forms of

social influence from an ethical and moral perspective (22)

· displaying academic honesty and adhere to professional standards in the field of psychology (23)

· Recognizing and understanding the relationship between the individual and society from a psychological perspective (24)

5. (Goal X) Value the emergence of a multicultural society by

· acknowledging a plurality of cultural and personal values and demonstrating respect of the right of others to express their viewpoints (30)

· examining psychological issues from multiple perspectives (31)

working cooperatively in groups with diverse membership and contribute to the group’s efforts with ideas and suggestions (33)

Instructional Methods:

This section of General Psychology is offered as an asynchronous, totally online course.  Students are required to be on campus on only one occasion - for the proctored midterm exam.  Selected text and internet-based readings, potentially viewing of on-line streaming videos, individual learning assignments with written responses, as well as posted class discussions/presentations will facilitate student learning.  You will have the opportunity to interact with your classmates via the Discussion Board and via email.  I will interact with you via the Discussion Board, emails, phone calls and office meetings where appropriate.

 How is this course organized?

This course covers 13 chapters in the 15 week semester. With a week set aside for both the midterm and final exam, it means a student needs to cover one chapter a week. This is not a self paced course! In order encourage staying on task, a successful student will submit a short on-line quiz on each chapter during the week scheduled for that chapter. Each of the 4 Unit Tests, Discussion Board and other assignments are due during a clearly stated period of time. Assignments submitted late will generally receive no credit. There are only two opportunities to earn extra credit – a Course Orientation Quiz at the beginning of the semester, and completing all 6 of the Learning Assignments instead of the required minimum 5 assignments.

Text(s) and Course Materials:

"Psychology," by Saundra K. Ciccarelli, Second Edition, Pearson Education 2009 (ISBN 9780136005216). THIS IS A DIFFERENT BOOK THAN THE TRADITIONAL CLASSROOM CLASSES USE! Visit the FCC Bookstore website at http://bookstore.frederick.edu/home.aspx  for purchasing options and details.

Progress Report:

By the end of the 4th week of the semester, you will have an opportunity to evaluate your progress in this course and decide if you need to make any adjustments (additional study, tutoring, conference with instructor) to assure your success in this course.

Evaluation Methods:
Tests / Papers / Projects / Participation	Point Value	Final Grade Scale
13 Online weekly chapter quizzes (10 points each). 4 Multiple choice Unit Tests (100 points each). 5 Learning/Discussion Assignments (40 points each) On Campus Midterm exam ( 100 points)	13 x 10 = 130 4 x 100 = 400 5 x 40 = 200 1x 100 = 100 Total = 830	747+ = A 664 = B 581 = C 498 = D Below 498 = F
If the average graded performance for online assignments differs significantly from the grade for the proctored midterm, the instructor reserves the right to administer additional tests.

Student Services

A variety of services are available to assist students in succeeding at FCC. Students can learn more about these services by visiting the Student Services web page: http://www.frederick.edu/student_services/index.aspx.

Students with disabilities who are in need of accommodations or who have questions related to disabilities services should contact the Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) office at 301-846-2408. Students can learn more about these services by visiting the Services for Students with Disabilities web page: http://www.frederick.edu/student_services/disability.aspx.

Participation Policy:

Students are expected to actively participate in all course activities. The grading system allows a student to earn a potential 330 points (130 for weekly quizzes, 200 for Discussion/Learning assignments) through specified learning activities. These points are separate from the 500 points for the four Unit Tests and Midterm, and represent almost 40% of the total possible points to be earned. However, these 13 weekly quizzes, 4 unit tests, and 5 assignments must be taken on time in order to receive any credit - no make ups.

Email Policy:

With the exception of any MOL students, all FCC students will receive and are expected to use their FCC email address for correspondence with faculty and staff at the college. Students can establish and access their FCC email accounts at https://myfcc.frederick.edu. Email is an instructional tool essential to student-instructor and student-student communication. In the Blackboard environment by default, your email address may be available to all students in this course.

However, students are permitted to use email addresses of other students in this course only for the purpose and the duration of this course.

The instructor can be expected to normally respond to regular student email inquiries (grades, posted assignments, and tests excluded) within the time frame of 24 to 48 hours.

Academic Integrity:

Work in this course is subject to the provisions of the FCC Code of Academic Integrity. Plagiarism in any form will not be tolerated. As a student, it is your job to practice academic honesty at ALL times. Make sure that all sources, particularly Internet sources, get proper credit for quotations, paraphrases, and ideas. More information about this and the Student Conduct Code are available at http://www.frederick.edu/student_services/studentpolicies.aspx

You must send your Academic Integrity Pledge to the instructor. The form is available at

http://courses.frederick.edu/_utilities/regform.htm

Topical Outline

Week	SUBJECT	Chapter	Assignment #
Week 1	The Science of Psychology	1
Week 2	The Biological Perspective	2	1
Week 3	Consciousness: Sleep, Dreams, Hypnosis & Drugs. Online Unit Test #1 (Chapters 1,2,& 4)	4	2
Week 4	Learning	5	3
Week 5	Memory	6
Week 6	Development Across the Lifespan	8	4
Week 7	Motivation and Emotion	9
Week 8	On Line Unit Test #2 (Chapters 5,6,8 & 9) and On Campus Comprehensive Mid Term
Week 9	Sexuality and Gender	10	5
Week 10	Stress and Health	11
Week 11	Social Psychology. On Line Unit Test #3 (Chapters 10, 11, &12)	12
Week 12	Theories of Personality	13
Week 13	Psychological Disorders	14
Break	Fall Break
Week 14	Psychological Therapies	15	6
Week 15	On Line Unit Test #4 (Chapters 13, 14, & 15)

NOTE: Your instructor reserves the right to make changes to this outline as needed.